Guided Waves in Embedded Concrete Piles
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 1
Abstract
Results of a three dimensional (3D) guided wave evaluation of the stress waves generated by the impulse response method show that the conventional interpretation technique based on 1D wave propagation theory is essentially a special application of the first branch of longitudinal wave modes with frequency components up to several thousand hertz. To extend the frequency range and incorporate special wave characteristics of higher modes so that the integrity of an embedded pile can be evaluated in a more thorough manner, a frequency-controlled method capable of exciting waveforms with higher and selective frequency components is introduced to nondestructively evaluate prototype concrete piles. Experimental results on a prototype pile are analyzed by processing the responding signals in the joint time–frequency domain, then comparing the processed waveforms with the theoretically computed results. These results show that the mode attributes of the experimentally excited waves are consistent with the results of theoretical evaluations. Based on this finding, this guided wave approach can be applied to evaluate the integrity of a drill shaft with appropriately determined parameters of the soil–pile system.
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Acknowledgments
Support of this work was provided by a grant from the Infrastructure Technology Institute at Northwestern University. The continuing interest of its director, Mr. David Schultz, is greatly appreciated. The writers also thank Professor John S. Popovics for his input throughout this work.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 1 • January 2005
Pages: 11 - 19
Copyright
© 2004 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 11, 2003
Accepted: Apr 19, 2004
Published online: Jan 1, 2005
Published in print: Jan 2005
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